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heidirgorecki's reviews
1025 reviews
Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Interesting and a good balance between intrigue, a unique setting, and the 2 female MCs on different sides of the mystery.
I had never heard of the forced labor camp in a department store in Paris, and even some Google searches didn’t reveal much so it’s unfortunately still not well known. I appreciated learning about that thru Helaine’s story here. It was also well done how she experienced the slow shutting out of Jews within Paris.
The way Louise’s story intersected Helaine’s a couple times was creative, and the aspect of finding purpose in hunting down the mystery of the necklace when she felt like she was floundering after the war was an insightful view that was probably all too common post-war.
I do wish there was more fleshed out in the story with Joe later on. Louise’s and his working together and interaction just resolved rather quickly and could have had some great depth and character development, but I at least appreciated the resolution there and determination for their marriage. .
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
I had never heard of the forced labor camp in a department store in Paris, and even some Google searches didn’t reveal much so it’s unfortunately still not well known. I appreciated learning about that thru Helaine’s story here. It was also well done how she experienced the slow shutting out of Jews within Paris.
The way Louise’s story intersected Helaine’s a couple times was creative, and the aspect of finding purpose in hunting down the mystery of the necklace when she felt like she was floundering after the war was an insightful view that was probably all too common post-war.
I do wish there was more fleshed out in the story with Joe later on. Louise’s and his working together and interaction just resolved rather quickly and could have had some great depth and character development, but I at least appreciated the resolution there and determination for their marriage. .
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Different and interesting - a dystopian and sort of magic-infused and poetic story of a girl and her family/friends operating into as the world goes underwater. I liked it and the uniqueness of it.
A Heart Devoted by Nichole Van
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So good, lovely and endearing, and had great depth. It wasn’t really what I expected but in a fantastic way. I loved Tristan and Isolde and their family, and the villains were so well done also. Great wrap up to the series.
High Season: A Novel by Katie Bishop
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While a murder mystery, this reads a little more like a women’s fiction or coming of age. It’s more methodical, more about the characters, but I didn’t feel it was too slow or drawn out. All in all I really enjoyed it.
The multiple perspectives of the characters, as well as the dual timeline, gave a really well done picture of the life of teenagers growing up with class/wealth gaps, fighting to figure out who they are and who they are to others. Then as adults, how all that plus irrevocable mistakes change who you are, and you’re given the choice to question, fight, or do the right thing when offered. Well portrayed and interesting progression into the whodunit of the murder.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
The multiple perspectives of the characters, as well as the dual timeline, gave a really well done picture of the life of teenagers growing up with class/wealth gaps, fighting to figure out who they are and who they are to others. Then as adults, how all that plus irrevocable mistakes change who you are, and you’re given the choice to question, fight, or do the right thing when offered. Well portrayed and interesting progression into the whodunit of the murder.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
The Ghosts Of Rome by Joseph O'Connor
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
While the storyline was interesting, and the chapters themselves were written well, I spent the majority of the audiobook really confused. I could not figure out what was going on most of the time. Maybe it was just a very different style than I prefer but I just struggled
The writing overall felt choppy in a poetic sort of way, and disjointed and had a lot of characters. It would hop from character to character, current timeline to a future recorded interview of one of the characters, then back to another character. It was just so hard to keep track of or to know what was going on.
When I was in the middle of a chapter that I could grab a thread on, I enjoyed that piece and the writing of it. It just didn’t stay there long enough for me to get into it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
The writing overall felt choppy in a poetic sort of way, and disjointed and had a lot of characters. It would hop from character to character, current timeline to a future recorded interview of one of the characters, then back to another character. It was just so hard to keep track of or to know what was going on.
When I was in the middle of a chapter that I could grab a thread on, I enjoyed that piece and the writing of it. It just didn’t stay there long enough for me to get into it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
Finding Happiness in a Hoax by Claire Cain
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved it. Marriage of convenience and forced proximity, really well done. It had great tension and depth and was so hard to put down.
The Problem with Planning Love by Claire Cain
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Cute and heartwarming. I liked the forthrightness of Livie and Eric, though that made it weird when they didn’t talk but overall it was a quick, good story.
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Definitely liked it a lot better than Wuthering Heights. Also I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook. With all the various narrators doing the interview parts it totally fleshed out the story so well. Overall I liked it quite a bit - still sort of a sad story and super flawed characters as spinning it off WH requires (tho not nearly as bad as WH), but it fit well in a narrative of a competitive Olympic sport.
Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really liked the storyline and concept of a dystopian India in the 1960s, if they had not gained their independence from the British. It had some impactful threads on fighting for freedom, taking life-threatening risks, benefits and consequences of violence vs non-violence, etc. I also really loved the friendships and loyalty the women had, and that they stood up despite so much against them. That they were selfless in fighting for each other and their people even to their own detriment, but understood the importance of *being* better than their oppressors if they wanted a better world, rather than matched retaliation and justification.
What I struggled a little with was the writing style. It was very narrative-based with arguably most of the book being Kalki’s contemplation, flashback memories and rumination. I didn’t feel invited into their struggle or fight so much as looking at it from the outside, removed from the story. It was hard to be invested in what was going on consistently outside of *wanting* to be invested because of the value of the story.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
What I struggled a little with was the writing style. It was very narrative-based with arguably most of the book being Kalki’s contemplation, flashback memories and rumination. I didn’t feel invited into their struggle or fight so much as looking at it from the outside, removed from the story. It was hard to be invested in what was going on consistently outside of *wanting* to be invested because of the value of the story.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this look at a handful of very influential women working with propaganda for the US during WW2. I’ve read some fictionalized versions of some of this based loosely on Zuzka in Rome and the USO teams like Marlena worked with but this fleshed out their real lives and real stories so much better.
I thought it was very well done - I liked both the facts, events, backgrounds of their lives and what they went thru all combined. It gave me the ability to be invested in them as well as what they did for the war and their skill set and experiences. The women are so inspiring in both what they accomplished and what they endured in a male-dominated and female-diminished environment, and they were absolutely brilliant.
The book is relatively short but I appreciated that rather than so many nonfiction histories that just get so bogged down in the details. This felt like a great balance of information and detail.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.
I thought it was very well done - I liked both the facts, events, backgrounds of their lives and what they went thru all combined. It gave me the ability to be invested in them as well as what they did for the war and their skill set and experiences. The women are so inspiring in both what they accomplished and what they endured in a male-dominated and female-diminished environment, and they were absolutely brilliant.
The book is relatively short but I appreciated that rather than so many nonfiction histories that just get so bogged down in the details. This felt like a great balance of information and detail.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.